Bulgaria Wins Historic Silver as Italy Claims Volleyball World Championship Crown

The Bulgarian men’s national volleyball team fell short in the final of the World Championship in the Philippines, losing 1:3 (21:25, 17:25, 25:17, 10:25) to reigning champion Italy. The title clash took place in Pasay City before a crowd of 15,862 spectators. With this result, Bulgaria secured the silver medals for the second time in its history, repeating the achievement from 1970 in Sofia, when the team also finished as runner-up.

Italy demonstrated its composure and experience throughout the final, sealing its second consecutive world crown, following the triumph in Poland in 2022. The Azzurri imposed their rhythm and capitalized on decisive moments in the first two sets, taking control whenever Bulgaria threatened to close the gap.

The opening set saw Bulgaria narrowing the difference to 20:21, but three quick points for the Italians shifted the momentum decisively. In the second, the turning point came at 16:17, when Yuri Romano’s strong service run produced six consecutive points, breaking open the game and leaving Bulgaria chasing.

The third set brought a glimpse of Bulgaria’s strength. Midway through, Alexander Nikolov and Martin Atanasov lifted the team with powerful serves and efficient blocking, allowing the squad to dominate and claim the set.

However, the fourth and final set once again underlined Italy’s superiority. After an even start, the Italians pulled ahead 6:3 and steadily built a 6–7 point cushion. The gap widened into double digits near the close, with Mattia Bottolo delivering a decisive serving streak that sealed the victory.

For Bulgaria, this campaign remains historic - reaching only its second world final, more than five decades after the first, and once again stepping onto the podium with silver medals. Italy, meanwhile, confirmed its position as a modern powerhouse in men’s volleyball, lifting the world title for the second straight time.